The city center of Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in 1958. [Photo provided to China Daily] More than 277,000 people involved in greening project that started six years ago An oilfield in the Gobi Desert hardly conjures up visions of an ideal living environment, but the city of Karamay has created a pleasant life for its more than 400,000 residents. Karamay, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is known for its oil and gas rigs, and its name means black oil in the Uygur language. Yet this man-made oasis also has some breathtaking scenery and unexpected pleasures. The sun rises and sets later than in most of the country. Every evening, residents gather at Karamay Lake to watch a water fountain performance and enjoy the cool breeze that rustles through the trees. There are some surprising twists that make this remote destination ideal for people seeking something out of the ordinary. They include the city fountain, with its pivoting nozzles that shoot water high into the air in an array of patterns, accompanied by lights and music; the mesmerizing sight of hundreds of pump jacks bringing crude oil to the surface; and the windcarved rock and sand sculptures called yardang. blue silicone braceletsilicone rubber braceletscheap personalized silicone wristbands no minimumevent wristbands vancouvercustom camo wristbands
Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office. [Photo/Xinhua] Mainland slams response by island's leader, who called exercise 'a threat' A spokesman for the Chinese mainland said a military drill by Chinese bombers and warships around Taiwan on Monday was routine and slammed the island's administration for misleading the Taiwan people and hyping tensions. On Monday, various warships, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command conducted necessary training around Taiwan as a means to test the joint assault capability between different branches of the military, Senior Colonel Zhang Chunhui, the theater command's spokesman, said in a statement on Monday. The exercise took place in waters east of Taiwan and was part of a scheduled PLA exercise, he said. It is completely within the normal legal rights of a sovereign country, and it's beneficial for maintaining peace and security in the Taiwan Straits, Zhang said. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement on Tuesday that the exercise aimed to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as protect the common interests of people from both sides of the straits. Taiwan's administration, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, used the drill as an opportunity to deceive and mislead the residents of Taiwan and to provoke and escalate a cross-Straits confrontation, Ma said. Its goal of undermining cross-Straits relations and the peace and security of the region will not succeed, Ma said. Nobody should underestimate our adamant resolve and ability to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity. On Tuesday, Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen said she will not be intimidated by the military drill, calling the exercise a threat to Taiwan and an act of coercion, the island's media reported. Tsai also thanked the United States for considering a deal with Taiwan to renew a $500 million training program in the US for Taiwan F-16 pilots and maintenance crews. In early April, the US increased military interactions with the island by officially acknowledging that military personnel have been posted in the Taipei office of the American Institute in Taiwan since 2005. US weapons manufacturer Raytheon was also granted a $9 million contract to upgrade Taiwan's Patriot missile defense system. Senior Colonel Liang Fang, a professor at PLA National Defense University, said the recent drill will test and enhance the PLA's joint operating capabilities. It will increase the PLA's ability to protect national sovereignty, and warn those who are trying to undermine it to abandon their illusions, she said. Similar drills will be more common in the future, with increasingly sophisticated equipment and training methods. Xiu Chunping, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Taiwan Studies, said the recent drill serves to warn the US and separatists in Taiwan not to infringe on China's core interests by pursuing Taiwan secession. The PLA has the ability to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. There is no question about that, she said.
